Three. That is how many Kashmri Chai posts I have written and not published. It seems that every time I about to I find another recipe, another technique, something with a pink that pops far more than mine and I go back to the drawing board. I have played with the quanities of tea leaves, the time it takes to cook, etc and time and time again I find myself back here, happily sipping away at this incarnation.
A Note on Pink-ness of Kashmiri Chai
Full disclaimer: my kashmiri chai does not achieve the incadescent pink that some do, and I don't mind one bit. It is still beautiful and still delicious. I don't like to sound cynical because it's so uncool (lol), but I have now watched endless videos and read endless posts and learnt that in most cases the teas go from a mellow beige to a punchy pink through the miracles of photo editing more often than not. In some cases the tea leaves being used will have a pinkish tinge which is essentially a food dye. Since I am not familiar with the composition of the dye I haven't ever tried those. For those of you who follow me on instagram (@flourandspiceblog) I have shared an edit free video of the process in my insta stories.
I keep calling it Kashmiri Chai, but the reality is that the authentic pink chai from Kashmir, also known as Noon Chai, is a savoury tea. This version is one that Karachiites like myself have grown up drinking. Like many trendy desserts now it is primarily sweet but with a salty note. If you want to make yours more authentic then skip the sugar or put a tiny amount and use half n half or cream instead of milk.
Tips for making a Pink Kashmiri Chai:
- Although I believe certain brands of green tea can produce this beautiful colour you are best off using Kashmiri tea leaves. And not the ones in your cabinet for 2+ years.
- Start brewing your tea with cold water
- Cook, but make sure you never go below ¼ of the original liquid (add more if necessary) simmering two hours ideal for that rich colour. The liquid will be a deep dark maroon
- Shock with the coldest water you can to produce that beautiful color
- Phaita Lagana means to transfer the liquid from a height from one pot to another, do this for 5-8 minutes or more. The froth will become a foamy pink
- Make sure you actually cook the liquid with your milk of choice for at least 5 minutes, that is 5 minutes of active simmering not just warming in a pot. The milk affects both colour and taste - generally I prefer evaporated milk here, but know of people who use half n half as well
- Flavour - the aromatics you use will greatly impact flavour. Usually it is some combination of whole cardamom, cinnamon sticks, and badiyan ka phool (star anise). I love it best with cardamom, but know that at weddings in Karachi Badiyan ka Phool is often used.
The base or "kahwa" for Kashmiri Chai keeps well in the fridge for up to two weeks which is why I make a big batch. This much Kahwa is enough for 8 mugs of Kashmiri Chai since it is a fairly milky tea.
If you make this recipe do take a few seconds to rate it! I would love to see your recreations so tag me on instagram @flourandspiceblog !
- 6 tbsp Kashmiri Tea Leaves
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ¼-1/2 tsp salt
- 5-6 Cardamom Pods
- 1 Badiyan ka Phool (Optional)
- 1 small piece of cinnamon stick (optional)
- 2 cups ice cold water (I mix mine with ice)
- finely chopped pistachios & almonds
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Add all the ingredients except the ice cold water to a pot with 8 cups of cold tap water.
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Bring to a boil, simmer for 2 hours, topping up if you need to so that the liquid doesn't drop below ¼ of the original level
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Run the tea through a sieve into a large bowl, press the tea leaves to extract every last bit of flavour and discard the tea leaves.
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Now get ready for a work out. Pour the ice cold water from a height into the tea concentrate.
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Pour back and forth from bowl to bowl or use a ladle to drop it back into the bowl from a height to aerate the tea. I suggest doing this in your sink or a prepped surface area since it does splash a bit.
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After a full 5-8 minutes of doing this the foam the tea produces will take on a rich bodied pink
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Bring the tea mix back to a boil, simmer for five minutes. The "kahwa" is ready.
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To make each cup of tea: Take a ladle (about ⅓ of a cup) of the kahwa, bring to a boil, add ⅔ cup milk and a splash of water. At this stage I like to throw in an extra cardamom pod too. Cook for 2-3 minutes and serve topped with a scant spoon of crushed pistachios
Like Kashmiri Chai? How about Phitti Hui Coffee? It's another favourite drink of ours - especially when you can make it in minutes! Also don't forget to save the Pink Chai recipe for later!
Made this following your exact directions and came out better than it ever has before!! Thank you!!
wohoooo!!!!!!
Made this 3 times already and everyone loves it!!!
yay!!!! that's absolutely great - and it's totally the perfect time to be drinking Kashmiri Chai!
Hi Sarah,
You nailed the colour!! I am not sure if you have any Afghani family friends. Pink tea is a very traditional tea in Afghanistan as well. Most Afghans mastered the art of pink tea :)) My mom makes the best tea and the colour is unbelievable. I am like you I have a few posts written on pink tea too, but never published it lol. To get that unique colour right is not easy!! Your recipe is the exact way we make our pink tea as well. My mom always says you have to take your time! Perhaps I was rushing through. I will follow your steps and see if I can manage the colour. Next time I am at my mom's I will send you a picture of the green tea they use. You can get it from any Persian store.
Oh wow!!!! Thank you thank you for taking the time to share that! I always think of pink tea as a Pakistani/Indian thing! Also would love to know the brand your mother uses!
This kashmiri chai recipe was AMAZING! Thank you for taking the time to share this as you’ve changed my guest experience for the rest of my life 🙂
That is absolutely awesome to hear!
Hi Sarah!! I am a tea lover and of Pakistan region. Since I have been away from home for most of the time, and I recently happened to come across a video of Kashimiri Pink Chae video (for the first time). And as I am commenting so obviously your blog was the first one I came across and got lucky with the best way to know the making of the pink chae. Will post once I make one soon. Since it is the winter season in Tokyo, I bet this chae would be the best thing I could have.
Cheers!!
Hi Naveesh!!! I am so glad you found this post! This tea recipe is one of my most requested ones and it always feels like it's worth the effort! I have a step by step video saved on my instagram stories if you are a visual learner. Either way please do let me know how it turns out!
I'm convinced these tea photos all have food coloring. I followed this recipe to the letter and yet it's still a reddish brown. I even put it through my Vitamix after straining to aerate.
The label on the loose Kashmiri tea that I bought this week is bright pink and I can't help but feel it's all false advertising.
Hi Rachel! I am so sorry that you feel that way. I can assure you that I didn't use any food coloring here. In fact I regularly try different things because I am trying to get to the brighter pink that I have had at other peoples places, but it sadly still eludes me. I am not sure if you are on Instagram, but if you are I also have a step by step of me making it in my instagram highlights on a pretty overcast day (@flourandspiceblog). There are no filters or anything used there.
Just to confirm is your froth pink when you are aerating? Also yes the air is key but so is the reaction of the iced water and the Kashmiri chai base. It takes a serious arm workout and dropping the liquid from height to get there. If you are ok with all these steps then I think maybe it's just your milk to water ratio that needs adjusting. Hope this helps!
hi Sarah, I tried this for the first time today and it came out such a beautiful color. My guests loved it absolutely and this is my new specialty !!! Thank you for sharing
Hi Tee! I am so glad it turned out well! When it does it seems well worth the arm workout doesn't it !?! 🙂
Hi!! Just confirming if its 6 tablespoons or teaspoons of kashmiri tea leaves? thank you!
tablespoons! this makes for a lovely rich kahwa!
I made this yesterday and it came out perfect! Never been able to get a nice pink color. Recipe was very detailed and easy to follow. Made it with half and half, will try evaporated milk next time. Thank you!
Haven’t tried it but was wondering if it could be made in the instant pot
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Hi! I have never made it in the instant pot so I can't say. I don't know what the advantage would be though
WOW! This looks super easy to try and enjoy in Canadian winters. Can you suggest which tea leaves to try? How about Davids Tea Organic Kashmiri Chai, as it is easily available in Canada.
I'd really appreciate your suggestions.
Hi Akshi! I have used the Handi brand tea leaves because all desi stores carry them and they give consistently good results!
This tea is so beautiful! I don’t know if I’ll ever make it, but I hope one day I will get to have a cup or two.
Aww Linda thank you and I hope so too!
Where do you buy the leaves ?
Hi Priya! All my local South Asian stores seem to carry them, but I have friends who have made it with regular green tea as well and while the color is not quite the same I hear it still turns out super yummy! If trying a green tea I would recommend increasing the baking soda by a pinch!
Disclaimer - I used vahdam kashmiri tea so didn’t add any additional spices as directed, but used your technique as written and it came out amazing - this was after trying two other techniques.
I am SO happy to hear that it turned out well! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for sharing!
Thank YOU Reena!
Hi.. Could you please do a you tube video making it.. I learn better from visuals... My son is 11 and desparate for pink tea. Thank you x
Hi Fariha! I can definitely record a video and put it in the post, but the only tricky part is the ucchhaalna in the sense that you need to do it for a little bit of time. Other than that it's no effort!
Thank you so much! This is getting me closer to what I was looking for. Question: before adding the cold water, how much should be left of the hot kahwa? I know to continue adding if it's dipping below 1/4 of original amount, but what's ideal to end up with before the shocking stage?
I aim for a rough third! Hope this works for you!!!
That's perfect! Thank you so much for responding. <3
my pleasure!
This was SO GOOD. Delicious and such a gorgeous pink color. I’m going to make another batch so I have plenty for Ramadan!
HOW WONDERFUL! Thank you for sharing!!!!!